Arthritis South Australia - we're here to help you

Welcome to Arthritis South Australia. We are a charitable organisation here to support you, whether you have arthritis and are in pain, have difficulty moving as well as you would like to, or if you want to help someone close to you who suffers from arthritis.

Arthritis South Australia is committed to improving the quality of life of people with arthritis and related conditions. They can be babies, because sadly even kids get arthritis too, through to the elderly. We are dedicated to reducing the social and economic burdens of arthritis. We do this by funding research, providing education and giving support. We also create awareness about arthritis and advocate on behalf of people with arthritis at all levels of government.

This website gives you information about some of the more common types of arthritis, provides information and tips to help you manage arthritis, showcases cutting edge research, offers details on courses that you can book into, ...and much more.

Arthritis South Australia is a member based organisation that relies upon both memberships and donations to fund its many activities. We hope you find the information here useful and we welcome feedback about how our website can best serve you. We also welcome donations.

Budding artists take note - it's time to apply for the Dawn Slade-Faull Award of 2017

Applications for the award commemorating the life of Adelaide artist Dawn Slade-Faull, who had crippling Rheumatoid Arthritis and was a powerful advocate for people with disability, are now open and close on 2 June 2017.

People with a disability are encouraged to apply for the award which provides the winner with up to $1000 in funding for professional development.

Artists and craftspeople from a diverse range of disciplines are encouraged to apply. Entries may be made in person, or on behalf of any person, resident in South Australia, with an intellectual physcial, psychiatric or sensory disability.

Dawn Slade-Faull refused to let disability stand in the way of her artistic passion and became a potter who made her mark.

Membership better than ever....

Membership of Arthritis SA is better than ever with one major health insurance fund in South Australia reimbursing many of its "extras" customers their total membership fees.

Arthritis SA recommends that each Arthritis SA member with health fund "extras" check with their funds to see if they can get their total Arthritis SA membership fee back.

That's just the start of the good news for Arthritis SA memberships, now due for renewal. New membership payment options of three and five years are being offered, in addition to the usual one year membership options, kept at $25 for concession card holders and $40 without a concession card. Concession card holders can now pay $65 for three years of membership or $100 for five years. Non-concession card holders can get three years of membership for $100 and five years for $120.

Membership is one of the most valuable contributions you can make to your self-management and knowledge about arthritis. Member benefits include:

3 copies of Arthritis SA's magazine annually

Free entry into Arthritis SA consumer courses and seminars

Free entry into support groups of choice

Discounts on products available at Arthritis SA or on the website's shop

Katrina makes the right moves, despite inflammatory arthritis

South Australian Katrina Smith has the world at her feet in October, defying a world of pain.

Despite suffering from inflammatory arthritis, Katrina, 22, competed with a team of 24 young women in one of Australia's biggest calisthenics competition, known as the Royal South Street Calisthenics Senior Championships, in Ballarat. Her team, Marden Calisthenics College, will be doing six routines over 12 hours, displaying prowess that won them the State Championships in August.

Yet just before last Christmas Katrina didn't feel she could even move, although she had been doing calisthenics since the age of four and classical ballet throughout much of her teen years. The Sturt Football Club Cheerleader was to discover she had inflammatory arthritis, the auto-immune conditon that causes swelling in her joints.

Conquer Kangaroo Island to conquer arthritis

The remote and spectacular new Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail will be traversed by a small band of people wanting to draw attention to arthritis and raise money for research into treatments in 2017.

These will be everyday Australians, of all ages and currently all levels of fitness. One can be you! Most will not ever have thought of doing such a trek, until reading this.

The adventure, in early October 2017, will cover 61 kilometres and take in breathtaking vantage points along Kangaroo Island's south-western coastline. It will be five days of camping and camaraderie between eight to 10 people discovering one of the world's newest and most exciting hiking trails. There is a limit to the number of people on the trail at any time so seclusion in nature's wonderland is all but guaranteed.

This is the first time Arthritis SA has picked a "home" destination for its trek, held every two years. Previous treks have honed in on destinations like China, India and New Zealand.

Know your bones launch

The Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Osteoporosis Australia has launched the Know Your Bones online tool which provides a personalised estimate of bone fracture risk. Evidence-based and consumer-friendly, it takes approximately five minutes to complete, and aims to empower consumers to initiate discussions about bone health and osteoporosis with their GP.

STOP PRESS: Arthritis SA issues caution over phone drug seller

Arthritis South Australia is warning people to be cautious if they receive phone calls from someone claiming to be a doctor who tries to sell them “medications” to treat arthritis.

Arthritis SA CEO, Julie Black, said no “medication” for arthritis should be taken without consulting personally with a health care professional.

“People could place themselves at serious harm, leave themselves open to a scam, or simply pay money for no benefit if they take a product touted over a phone line, or available through the internet,” Mrs Black said.